SSK Unit 4.2 Planning Guide

Instructional Strategies / ActivitiesHISD PLANNING GUIDEEnglish Language Arts Grade 8SUMMER SCHOOLIdentifying Similarities and DifferencesGraphic Organizers- Venn DiagramStudents can organize their thinking about the similarities and differences of two or more short stories by completing aVenn Diagram. Compare various elements of short stories (plot, point of view, characters, and theme).Example:Character 1 Character 2See Resources for a Venn Diagram template and Best Practices Toolkit.Cooperative LearningGraphic Organizers- Culture ComparisonAsk students to compare and contrast not only story elements, but also cultural aspects. Pair students for a student read aloud. Have students create a Venn Diagram. Students record the similarities and differences of the cultures within the story and US culture on a Venn Diagram. Pairs share ideas with class and post their work.Extension Students compare text events with their own experience.Homework and PracticeRAFTThis strategy allows students to process information by writing in a nontraditional format. R- ROLE A- AUDIENCE F- FORMAT T- TOPICStudents can write as any persona, in any format, for any audience on any topic the teacher chooses. Have studentswrite a letter as a character, as a setting, or other literary element in regards to one of the short stories read during theunit. This can serve as a formative assessment not only of the reading objectives, but also as a pre-assessment of astudent’s writing abilitiesResourcesAdopted Instructional Materials• Best Practices Toolkit. Illinois: HoltMcDougal, 2010. Plot Diagram p. D12. Plot Analysis Frames p. D32-D33. Theme Analysis Frames p. D34-D35. Venn Diagram p. A26• Laying the Foundation: A Resourceand Planning Guide for Pre-APEnglish Grade Eight. Texas:Advanced Placement Strategies,2004.• Laying the Foundation StyleAnalysis: Linking Characterization toMeaning. Texas: AdvancedSupporting Resources• Attribute Web• Character Map• Dialogue Tags• Differentiated Vocabulary Map• ELA Best Practice MS• Literacy Leads the Way BestPractices- ELLs• Name that Character Game• Plot Line Diagram• Plot Line Diagram Accommodatedfor ELLs• Prefix and Suffix Bookmark• Somebody Wanted But So Chart• Story Notes• Types of Conflict - English Language Proficiency Standards (ELPS) - Literacy Leads the Way Best Practices - Aligned to Upcoming State Readiness Standard- State Process Standard R - State Readiness Standard S - State Supporting StandardProfessional Texts• Burke, Jim. Tools for Thought.New Hampshire: Heinemann,2002.• Green, Joseph. The Word Wall:Teaching Vocabulary ThroughImmersion. Ontario: PippinPublishing, 2003.• Seidlitz, John. Navigating theELPS. San Clemente, California:Seidlitz Education Center, 2008Online Resources• Annenberg Media- Literature(Website allows students tocontrol the information of short© Houston ISD Curriculum2013 – 2014Page 9 of 10